


He's Just a Kid

by Reneia



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Bonding? I guess?, Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 06:05:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14635626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reneia/pseuds/Reneia
Summary: Taako doesn't much like Angus McDonald. But over the course of a year, he realizes that against all odds, Angus McDonald likes him. (For my dear, dear friend, StarlightOnInk, who is amazing in just about every way!)





	He's Just a Kid

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarlightOnInk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightOnInk/gifts).



> First time writing for TAZ! Not as happy with it as I want to be, but it's alright. Forgive the formatting, AO3 isn't very good at keeping it correct.

Taako had to admit it. When he first met Angus McDonald, he didn’t like him.

 

He didn’t really like surprises in general. He supposed others may have found the whole “being called out on your false identity bullshit by a ten-year-old” shebang charming, in a way. But Taako? Taako didn’t. He hated it. He didn’t like the fact that this ten-year-old was smarter than his disguise (though it was, in all fairness, shitty). He didn’t like that he had to avoid Angus McDonald’s eyes, because when he stared into them, his soul was laid bare, all the walls he’d built around them being ripped down with the violently calm, destructive force of a hurricane.

 

Others, he got a thrill out of dominating. With a sassy tilt to his head, a smirk painted onto his lips, he would meet their gaze and stare and stare and stare, narrow his hooded eyes and lean forward just slightly, making _sure_ they knew he was better than them, he could destroy them without a word if he felt the urge. And they’d always back down first, look away first. And Taako would feel a rush of pride. Small, but there. He didn’t know why. He didn’t particularly care.

 

But Angus. Somehow he saw through that. And it made him uncomfortable. It made him… he’d never admit it, but it made him afraid.

 

Angus McDonald, world’s greatest detective. The boy who saw him as he truly was without even knowing his name. This was why he hated children.

 

When the boy voiced his distress over his grandfather’s silverware set after the whole “train mystery” thing, the weight of it in Taako’s bag didn’t inexplicably increase, as stolen things do with guilt. No, it became lighter. When Angus McDonald cried over losing the last thing he had of his grandfather, Taako had to hide a grin.

 

Serves him right. Angus had no right to unwrap him like a goddamn birthday present. He’d just have to deal. It’s not like they’d ever see each other again.

 

Merle coughed up a laughing fit when he saw the set peeking out of his bag, and gave Taako a high five. Taako grinned. He ignored Magnus’ disapproving frown. It made something cruel bite at his insides.

 

Then, the feeling went away. They met with the Director again. And he forgot about the stolen utensils. And he forgot about Angus McDonald.

 

~-~

 

To Taako’s annoyance, they did meet again. Apparently the boy was too damn smart to be kept away from the Bureau, so the Director decided she was going to recruit him. And apparently, she was _fond_ of him, too.  

 

Taako didn’t like it. He teased the boy on sight, and grinned, and acted like he usually did, which was like an asshole, but he didn’t like being back under that gaze. He hated it, actually.

 

But Magnus greeted him with an enthusiastic grin and a “Good to see you again”, so Taako played along, and hoped to hell Angus couldn’t see right through it.

 

But then, they were thrown into a sudden new adventure. One that had them in real, legitimate danger. And when Angus called them up, he sounded absolutely _terrified._ For them. He was terrified for _them,_ a group of chucklefucks who had been nothing but mean to him. And if anything, that scared Taako more than before. Why would a kid like _that_ take a liking to people like _them,_ rough around the edges, mouths of sailors, rude and obnoxious—it didn’t make any sense. He would get hurt.

 

The final, devastating blow to his confused mind was the fact that… he… cared? He didn’t… want Angus to be hurt? But that didn’t make sense. None of this made sense. So Taako pushed the feeling down. He always did.

 

Lucas’s desperate attempt to save his mother was stupid. But for some reason, it made his heart clench. Not because he particularly cared about Lucas, but somehow, he understood what the man was going through. How? He had no damn clue.

 

Fucking Angus. It was his fault somehow, Taako was sure of it. Damn kid made him think about all the things he’d locked up a long time ago. Damn kid made him feel guilty. Damn kid. He was Taako, from TV, and he was better than feeling that shit.

 

But when Angus gave them that tired thumbs up and innocent smile, Taako couldn’t bring himself to blame him.

 

~-~

 

He shocks himself when he takes on Angus as a student. Really, he didn’t expect to agree to it. But it was early in the morning, and Taako was _way_ out of it, and. Well, Angus was clever. He heaped praise on Taako’s magic skills with wide, shining eyes, and as Taako preened, he swallowed and looked at his hands, and got real quiet before stuttering out a request.

 

“I- I was wondering if…well. I’m- I’m sorry for asking, sir… but… I really look up to you and Iwaswonderingifyoucouldteachme.” He’d said.

 

“Sorry?” Taako said. He genuinely hadn’t heard the question over his roaring ego.

 

“If… you want to. You don’t have to! I just… you’re really cool, sir, even though you aren’t always that nice, and I think you’d be a good teacher!”

 

Taako’s tired mind hadn’t even processed anything, so he just said, “Yeah, sure.” And for the first time, Angus’ eyes weren’t analyzing him, or anything for that matter. They were just shocked, and wide, and idolizing. The kid was _vibrating_ with excitement and happiness. And his gaping mouth turned into the brightest smile Taako had ever seen.

 

“Really?” he squeaked. Taako nodded, wondering what the hell he just signed up for. “I- okay- does- Does tomorrow after breakfast work for you? How long can you teach me for? How often? Do I need to make a schedule or something?”

 

Taako waved his hand dismissively. “Sure to the time, we’ll figure the rest out tomorrow,” he drawled, finally piecing together what the fuck just happened. He’d worry about it when he was properly awake.

 

Angus opened his mouth and closed it again several times before grinning another toothy smile. And then, all of a sudden, he rushed forward and crushed Taako’s midriff in an enthusiastic hug, muttering “Thank you” over and over and over again. Taako stiffened, and then tried to relax. He looked down at the boy who had, for some reason, taken a liking to him. His cheek was scrunched up against his ribs, his eyes were squeezed shut, the little gap between his teeth was easily visible, because he hadn’t stopped fucking smiling. Taako couldn’t help but awkwardly pat the boy’s back in return.

 

The magic lesson itself was… well. It changed how Taako saw Angus.

 

He was the world’s greatest detective, and he saw into Taako’s soul. But he was a kid. He’d seen the world through books and study, but not through experience. He was easily frustrated by his mistakes. He had more compassion than Taako ever remembered having. He… was just a kid. He was intelligent and unbelievably bright, but he was just a kid.

 

A month ago, Taako had been inexplicably scared _of_ him. But now… he was scared _for_ him? Because the world was a harsh place, and no book can prepare you for the roadblocks and twists and turns and backstabbers life will throw at you.

 

But he wouldn’t do anything. It wasn’t his job to protect the kid. He… wouldn’t be good at it.

 

The second lesson began with Angus bouncing into the cafeteria, excited to show off his new spell and his macaroons. It ended with fire, and what he, for some reason, desperately hoped wasn’t the loss of the weird friendship he had with this kid who idolized him despite all his faults.

 

~-~

 

Now, Taako remembered everything.

 

He remembered how he lost… everything.

 

He now stood in front of the woman he once trusted, the woman who betrayed him, the woman who made him forget his _goddamn twin sister_ and had the nerve to try and _explain_ it. And now, he realized what a dull haze his life had been without her. Without Lup.

 

As much as he was her heart, she was his. Without her, he couldn’t _feel_ like he should. And now, he was still without her, but he remembered.

 

All he felt was rage. He was screaming, but he wasn’t quite sure what- he just knew he was _itching_ to fight her, Lucretia, who stood by his and Lup’s side for a hundred _fucking_ years, and threw it all away because she believed fate belonged in her hands alone, who dared to believe she was right when almost no one else agreed with her.

 

She refused to meet any of their eyes, standing turned away from them and hugging her chest. A stray tear fell down her cheek, glimmering like one of those fucking crystals from Candlenights.

 

And then the rage faded, and Taako was only left with the empty feeling of crushing defeat.

 

~-~

 

One of the memories that stood out the most was the year Lucretia survived alone. The year of Judgement.

 

The team of seven stood together under the careful eyes of four gargantuan stone sentinels, as their past and future sins were dictated to them, solemn and slow. Then, Taako didn’t particularly care. His future was endless. His life was potentially infinite. He was tied down to no one and nothing except the crew of the Starblaster.

 

Now that they survived the end of the world—no, they beat the end of the world away, they fought, they _died_ , however temporarily _—_ Taako finally had time to sort through the century’s worth of memories that were thrust back upon him. Each one was crystal clear, as if each day that passed had been just yesterday.

 

The prophecy—that’s what it was, even if it wasn’t a prophecy in the most traditional sense—rang in his head, ominous and chilling.

 

_So much cruelty towards a child who loves them._

Love, they said. Taako grit his teeth and studied his nails. He hadn’t recognized it at all. He’d been so—so dead, so empty without Lup that he couldn’t even see that.

 

He didn’t know why, exactly, Angus McDonald loved them. Well. Magnus was pretty likeable. But them’s the facts, and he’d be damned if he didn’t do _something_ for the kid. To… apologize? No, Taako doesn’t apologize. And Angus didn’t want an apology, anyway.

 

Taako stood from the couch in his room on the moon, and went to the kitchen, stretching as he walked. He pulled his Stone of Farspeech from his pocket and called Angus, tapping his foot impatiently as it rang. Then, Angus answered.

 

“Yo, Ango,” Taako said, not giving the boy the chance to say a word. “Come down to my room if you’ve got the time, yeah? I’ve got something for you.” Without waiting for a response, he hung up.

 

And then, with magic tingling at his fingertips, he began to cook.


End file.
